RCAAP Repository

The aim of this study was to analyse the reproductive period, fecundity and the size of the first gonadal maturation of Cyphocharax voga (Hensel, 1869) of Custódias Lagoon, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The specimens (293 males and 247 females) were collected monthly, during the period between October 1994 and September 1995. The reproductive period took place from early winter until the end of spring. The average absolute fecundity was 36608 oocytes. The size of the first gonadal maturation was estimated in 121 and 128 mm for males and females respectively.

The Custódias lagoon has a great importance in the Tramandaí system, because it works as reproduction area, feeding and nursery grounds to several fish species. The aim of this work is the study of aspects related to the reproduction of Oligosarcus jenynsii (Günther, 1864) as such as reproductive period, sexual ratio, fecundity and size of the first gonadal maturation. The specimens were sampled monthly from October/1994 to October/1995. For each sex, maturation curves were established, based on the monthly variation of the gonadossomatic index mean values, as well as, the relative frequencies of the sexual maturity stages. Breeding seasons took place during the winter and spring. The sex ratio was significanthly different from 1:1, with more females than male in almost all month. The species had a average fecundity of 9.694 ovocytes. The estimated size of first sexual maturation was 114 mm for male and 131 mm for females.

A review of the Neotropical Lauxaniidae genus Triconopsis Hendel, 1914 is presented with redescription of T. longicornis Hendel, 1914 and the description of T. caioalbertsi sp.n. (type locality Uruguay), including illustrations and a key.

A small black Parapsaenythia is described from Vilhena, Rondônia, Brasil. This species can be easily distinguished by lacking yellow and ferruginous marks. It is very densely and finely punctured and marginal depressions marked. Parapsaenythia costaricensis Friese, 1921, is excluded from this genus, and some comments are made on Parapasenythia fusca Vachal, 1909.

A new species of Cyrtonota is described, from Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brasil. Its relationships with other species are discussed.

Chasmocarcinus arcuatus sp.n. from Amapá, Chasmocarcinus hirsutipes sp.n. from Pará and Chasmocarcinus meloi sp.n. from Alagoas, Brazil are described.

At a locality near Brasilia the sizes of hunting areas and of colonies of 13 species of social wasps varied greatly. Size of the hunting area varied 152 fold and was strongly related to the number of adult wasps per colony which varied 400 fold. The total number of adults of the 13 species was estimated at 182.9/ ha (range 7.1 fold among the species) and their total biomass was 1.6 kg/ ha (range 3.6 fold). Hunting range was not significantly related to body size. Variation in wing area (11.3 fold) was similar to that of the fresh weight of the adult female (10.7 fold). Eleven species showed habitat preferences where they hunted. Models relating prey size to the distance prey are carried are discussed.

Phylogeny for 23 Membracinae genera based on cladistic methodology is proposed. Five Hypsoprorini, two Aconophorini and sixteen Membracini genera were studicd. The Hoplophorionini genera were also analysed.

Data are presenteei on the life cycle and morphology of the immature stages of Loxolomia johnsoni Schaus, 1932. The larva feed on Cariniana legalis (Mart.) O. Ktze (Lecythidaceae).

Marine catfish (Ariidae) are abundant resources in otter trawl fisheries carried out at Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro (Lat. 22º54, 23º04'S; Long. 43º34\ 44º10'W). Relative abundance and distribution were assessed, based in 158 fishing sampling at seven sites in the Bay, between July-1993 e June-1996. Five species were recorded in the following abundance rank order: Genidens genidens (Valenciennes, 1839), Caihorops spixii (Agassiz,1829), Sciadeichthys lunisculis (Valenciennes, 1840), Nelunia barba (Lacépède, 1803), and Bagre marinus (Mitchill, 1814), the latter have been caught in only two samples. Marine catfish showed higher abundance in the inner Bay, with indication of spatial segregation. G genidens was abundant in ali sites of lhe inner Bay, C. spixii e N. barba, near to rivers mouths, andS lunisculis, being widespread in ali studied area. Sazonality was not evident, with few exceplions in some of the three annual cycles; G. genidens and S. luniscutis were more abundant in biomass in summer 1994/95 (G. genidens) and 1993/94 (S. luniscutis). G. genidens e N. barba show higher abundance (CPUE and biomass) between July-93 and June-95 and C. spixii e S. luniscutis between July-95 and June-96. Total association index indicates a overall positive association among ali species, with. higher Jaccard and Sorensen similarities coefficient for the pairs C. spixii/G. genidens, G. genidens/S. luniscutis, e C. spixii/S. luniscutis. Pearson linear correlation and Sperman rank indicate that G. genidens and N. barba are inversely correlated to C. spixii and S. luniscutis. Spatial segregation strategy may be explaining the coexistence of the marine catfish at Sepetiba Bay.

A new genus, Similliserdia gen.n. and two new species, S. aciculata sp.n. (from Santa Catarina) and S. quadriarticulata sp.n. from (from Acre) are described. A study of the morphology of the genitalia is included.

A detailed morphological study of the littorinid Littorina flava (King & Broderip), from Venezuelan and Brazilian coasts, is given and commented. a considerable degree of shell characters variation was found, mainly in color and sculpture. The pallial cavity presents normal fashion of mesogastropods, without any detectable morphological modification for the long air-exposure. The digestive system present odontophore muscles very similar to those of the cerithioideans and hydrobioideans; the radula, however, is enormously long; the stomach lacks differentiate style sac. The penis is characteristic in lacking annex glands. The pallial oviduct has no jelly gland, and has a well developed bursa copulatrix and vaginal tube.

This investigation was conducted to compare the soil ant fauna of an eucalypt plantation to that of a second growth forest; both áreas located in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Tuna fish, honey and cracker baits were used to collect ants along a transect and pitfall traps were distributed in central 900 m of each site. A total of 64 species belonging to 26 genera were collected in the 12 weekly samples; 54 species were captured in the forest and 45 in the Eucalypíus granais plantation. A total of eight species presented frequencies above 10% in at least one area. Species richness was higher in the second growth forest. Additional studies should be considcred for further generalizations of the results.

The tilefish, Lopholatihis villarii Ribeiro, 1915 is a commercially-important demersal fish, in the Southeast Brazil, inhabiting calcareous and rocky substrates of the outer shelf and upper continental slope. This study was based on readings of the scale's age rings of 153 especimens, caught from March, 1995 to March, 1996. Scales were found to grow on an isometric proportion with fish length, and age rings are formed betvveen the third and fourth trimesters (winter and spring). The age groups of sampled fish varied from II to X years, and the growth equation in total length (cm) is Lt = I 13.4 [1-e -0.144 (t+ 1.4)] w ith the correspondem one in weight (kg): W, = 22.5[1-e -0.144 (1 + 14)]3 184 obtained from the weight/length regression equation: ln W = -11.95 + 3.184 In L. The tilefish has a low growth coefficient (K = 0.144), typical of camivorous specics of the fourth trophic levei, and it may reach, theoretically, 41 years of age.

Liolaemus occipitalis (Boulenger, 1885) is an abundant lizard lbundalong lhe coastal dunes of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Fourteen individuais were manually captured in the dunes of Quintão beach (Palmares do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul) and studied in captivity from 23/VII/92 to 30/VII/93. They were kept in a terrarium with sand substrate and vegetation collected in their habitat. Snout-vent length (SVL) and wcighted were measured weekly. They received Tenebrio molitor (Linnaeus, 1758) worms as food; water was abundant. Combats between males for food and territory, and other behavioral displays were observed, like copulation and nesting behaviors. Growth curves for each lizard were analyzed.

The activity rhythm of the lizard Liolaemus occipitalis Boulenger, 1885 was studied during the summer of 93 at the sand dunes of the Quintão beach, from 06:00-18:00h. During sunny days this lizard exhibited two peaks of activity (1000-1200h and 1400-1600h), and in the cloudy days it exhibited one peak of activity (1200-1400h). The number of burrows was observed and the different soil temperatures was compared with the rhythm of activity exhibited by the lizards. Rhythm of activity is determined mainly by soil surface temperatures.

Nesting activity of the neotropical turtle Phrynops hilarii Duméril & Bibron, 1835 was studied from Feb/94 through Jan/95, with weekly visits at the Lami Biological Reserve (30º15'S, 51º05'W), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Nesting behavior was observed 17 times on three different nest sites. Phrynops hilarii laid in average 11 eggs per clutch (10-14; sd±1; n=17), nests' depth ranged from 100 to 150 mm (x=121.53 mm.sd±12.31; n=17). The species presents stereotiped behaviour common to other Testudines. Temperature inside the nest, just after nesting, ranged between 20-31ºC (x=26.29ºC; sd±2.89; n=17); nest predation during this period was 82.35% (14 of 17 nests). From Aug/29 through Oct/03/95, 220 egg shells was collected next to 21 nests destructed by predators in the same sites. At the Reserve, the main nest predator is the nocturnal mammal Procyon cancrivorus Cuvier, 1798.

The taxonomic status of Pseudis fusca Garman and P. bolbodactyla A. Lutz is revalidated, and here they are considered full species. The rediscovery of P. fusca is related, and a redescription of the species is presented. The redescription, the designation of the lectotype, and the description of the tadpole of P. bolbodactyla are provided. Pseudis tocantins sp.n. is described from the Tocantins river basin. The geographical distribution of these three species is discussed.

This paper reports the behavior of the black capped capuchin monkey, Cebus apella, using tools to break seeds of Syagrus romanzoffianum in search of coleoptera larvae that live inside. The study area was the Parque Municipal Arthur Thomas (85,47 ha) located in the city of Londrina, Paraná state. In one year of study, using the ad libitum method, the monkeys were observed using rocks pretty much in the same way as if they were hammer and anvil. Individuais of both sexes including adults, subadults and juveniles with more than two years of age, were involved in such activity. The behavior of the animais consisted of they place the seeds on a large rock in the ground, and using a smaller rock which was hold among the hands, the seeds were beaten repeatedly until breaking. Then they ate the larvae and/or endosperm. The use of tools is thought to have brought benefits to the animais by allowing the access to a source of food that would not normally be used.

The genus Cundinamarca Rindge, 1983 (Geometridae, Ennominae, Nacophorini) is studied. Erilophodes indistincta Warren, 1904, Ischnopteris subalbata Dognin, 1910 and Ischnopteris nigralbata Dognin, 1913 are placed under Cundinamarca comb.n.. Two new synonyms are established: Isclmoplerix subalbata whiíei Prout, 1934 is a júnior synonym of Ischnopteris subalbata Dognin, 1910; Cundinamarca parallela Rindge, 1983 is a júnior synonym of Ischnopteris nigralbata Dognin, 1913. A new species is described: Cundinamarca rindgei. The genus is first time recorded from Brazil and Paraguay.